News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-03-03
HUNTING IN TIE NORTHWEST.
Wolves that were sIaddened by B.Ood-A
Desperate Fight.

Two of US were at Red Lake River
In Minnesota. hunting. We were ou
one day and had number of pelts OF
our sled. l reused up big buck, anc
as he went off, breaking through the
crust at every leap, | got a snap sho
and missed. 1t, however, turned hi!
course, and gave Zane, my partner, {
chance, and after a minute or two
heard the report of his rifle This was
followed by a shout for help, and
reached him to find that he had met
with bad accident He was making
ready to fire at the deer when the snow
crust broke under him and gave him g
fall. The rife was discharged as he
went down, and the bullet entered his
right leg just below the knee, and prob
| ably embedded itself in the bone. He
was a game and nervy man. but the
| pain of the wound was so intense that
he could not repress his groans. He
also comprehended the situation more
fully than | did. We were seventy or
| eighty miles from a settlement and a
| doctor, and his chances of getting help
were very dubious. | was too overcome
to DO anything, but presently, when he
| had got the better of the pain, he in
structed me how to make a bandage and
| get at the wound, which was bleeding
freely. After the bandage was on l
also applied tourniquet, and then he
said
''You have hard job before you to
get me to camp. You must contrive
| some sort of a sled"
This | could not do without going to
the camp for the axe and some ropes l
| got him in as comfortable position as
possible, and then hurried off, and in
| less than an hour after l started | was
back again with the axe, ropes, and a
couple of blankets. cut two saplings
with proper crook or bow to them,
| lashed on some cross pieces, and then
| peeled some bark to make a deck
When the blankets had been spread on
top of this my work was done. The
sleigh and its load would not be much
of a pull over the smooth surface when
once started. l hadn't suspicion that
there were wolves about, or that we were
in the least danger from these animals.
had drawn Zane forty or fifty feet from
the spot where the accident had occurred,
and was fixing him in position to ride
easily, when five great wolves suddenly
appeared from l could not say where,
and began licking the blood off the
snow, meanwhile growing and fighting
In the most savage manner They were
of light gray color, of good size, and
sneaked up while l was busy with the
wounded man. I was astonished for
the moment but felt no alarm, until
Zane. seeming to make great effort to
control the bodily pain and mental ex-
citement, said:
''Start for the cabin at once, and mind
no more about me. can hang on some
way, while we shall be attacked if we
stay here"
Imoved off at once and as soon as
the sledge was fairly under way moved
very fast, but had not gone one third
of the distance to our cabin before
seventeen wolves, formed in crescent
shape, came tearing after us. They had
open ground to maneuvre on, and I saw
that the object was to encircle US. will
say this much in my own defence, for it
is only justice, that L was not bit rat
tied, perhaps not realizing the full dan
ger. l supposed that a shot or two
would scatter the beasts, but l was not
yet ready to halt and deliver them when
the sledge, with its heavy load, struck
weak spot in the crust, Lroke through,
and 1 was jerked on my back. scram
bled up to find the wolves IN a circle
around us, and not over thirty feet away,
and now l saw by their looks and actions
that we were in deadly peril. Zane
must have realized this sooner than l
did, but the calmness Of despair made
his voice steady as he said:
"Open fire as quick and as fast as you
can, for they mean to attack u.s."
l had Winchester, and l began to
pop away as fast as | could work the
gun. l dropped three wolves and
wounded a fourth, and then they
rushed in on us. Just what occurred
for the next twenty seconds 1 cannot
clearly remember A wolf must have
sprung at me from behind. for l was
knocked down. l got up and struck
two or three with my gun. made dash
through an opening, and one glance
showed me that the whole pack was
climbing over Zane and tearing him to
pieces. | don't remember that he ut.
tered cry or shout or groan l stood
like one dazed for a few seconds, and
then l dashed away for the cabin and
heard the howls of fresh wolves coming
up. was pursued, and as 1 reached
the hut and closed the door a dozen
wolves came against it, but was safe.
All that night 1 was besieged, the
wolves seeming to number hundred or
more, but their efforts to get at me or
the mules were unsuccessful, and next
day they disappeared, nor did they gather
again during the week | remained in
the cabin before leaving for home.
When I went out to look for the re-
mains of poor Zane I could not find
solitary trace aside from rife and knife.
Even his boot heels and buttons seemed
to have been eaten, while the stock of
the rifle had been gnawed and splin
tered until it was useless.